Together
by Rynne Lupin
Summary: The summer after GoF, Sirius tells Remus about going to Grimmauld Place. SLASH! (Remus/Sirius)


Disclaimer: You don't really believe I own the puppies, do you?

Summary: The summer after GoF, Sirius tells Remus about going to Grimmauld Place.  SLASH! (Remus/Sirius)

Warnings: Slash, though really not much in this one.  Only towards the end.

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            "I've offered up old Grimmauld Place as Order Headquarters," Sirius said abruptly.  Remus looked sharply up from doing the dishes, his soapy hand frozen above the dirty plate.

            "The Black family house?  Why" Remus asked, blinking at Sirius.  He knew how much Sirius had hated that place when he was a kid, and he wasn't expecting that feeling to have gone away now that Sirius was an adult.

            Sirius shrugged.  "I own it, now that darling Mother's passed on…when was it?" he looked quizzically at Remus.

            "Ten years ago," Remus affirmed, then set the plate down in the sink, washed his hands, and turned around to regard Sirius, who was sitting at the kitchen table.  He was slumped over, his hair falling in his eyes, but he made no move to brush it away.  Remus walked over to the table and sat down in the chair closest to him. 

            "Anyway," Sirius continued.  "I own it, so I can do what I want with it.  And while I'd prefer to just burn it to the ground and scatter the ashes, when Dumbledore told me we needed a place for Order Headquarters, it was the first place that came to mind that would work."  Suddenly Sirius grinned.  "And wouldn't Mother and all the rest just turn in their graves if they heard that their precious, _toujours pur_ home was being used as the base of operations for an Order dedicated to getting rid of Voldemort and protecting Muggles from him and all that?"

            Remus laughed, appreciating the irony.  But then he sobered as a thought crossed his mind.  "Sirius…are you still going to be staying here?  I mean…"

            "Dumbledore wants me to hide out there," Sirius interrupted, turning his head away.  "Says I'll be most protected, and least likely to get caught, while inside that place.  Something about old blood protections and all that junk.  I didn't understand; I mean, I knew that Harry got protection from Lily's sacrifice so living with those of her blood helped protect him," Sirius looked like he understood it, but was far from liking it, "but I don't have that."

            "No…but what you do have in that case is generations of family who lived in that place," Remus explained idly, though he wasn't really thinking about blood protections.  _If Sirius has to be cooped up there, he'll go mad…_ "It's the Black family house, and you're a Black.  The house will recognize you as such and give you protection."

            Sirius laughed bitterly.  "Protection I'd rather do without!  I've been able to take care of myself for two years on the run now…not that it matters anymore.  Dumbledore's orders and all that," Sirius shrugged, and made as if to stand up, but Remus caught his hand before he did.  Sirius looked back at him, one eyebrow eloquently raised in question.

            "When do you have to go back to…that place?" Remus asked, running his thumb along the palm of Sirius's hand.

            "Tomorrow," Sirius replied, and Remus grimaced.  _So soon…_Remus released Sirius's hand and pushed back his chair abruptly, standing up.

            "Moony?" Sirius asked as he also stood up.  Remus strode into the living room, and Sirius followed him.  "Where are you going?"

            "If we're going to be leaving tomorrow, I'd better pack," Remus replied, turning around and looking at Sirius, golden brown eyes watching him steadily.

            "We?  What do you mean, we?  Where are you going?" Sirius asked, suspicious.

            Remus was still watching him steadily as he answered, "With you, of course.  I _am_ a member of the Order, after all, and I want to be on hand."  Something sparked in Remus's golden brown eyes, but it was gone before Sirius could identify it.

            "Oh," Sirius said, turning away slightly.  "Of course, you can do what you want…be useful, and stuff…" He didn't notice Remus walking towards him until he put his arms around him.  Sirius stiffened, then relaxed, and turned in Remus's embrace to meet his lover's smiling eyes.

            "…And I want to be with you.  I promised you, when you showed up at my door two weeks ago, bearing the news that the Order was reconvening, that I would never leave you alone.  I intend to keep that promise," Remus said.

            "So you're coming because of a promise then?" Sirius asked, slumping slightly in Remus's arms.  Remus gave him a little shake.

            "Silly Padfoot," Remus chided affectionately.  "I'll follow you to the ends of the earth if I have to, because I want to be with you.  I'll go wherever you go, for as long as you want me to." Remus's eyes were bright, but he was smiling, and Sirius couldn't help but smile in return.  His arms came up and surrounded his lover, and they held each other closer.

            "Thank you, Moony," Sirius murmured.  Remus pulled back just enough to plant a soft kiss on Sirius's lips before closing his eyes and laying his head on Sirius's shoulder.

            "I love you, Padfoot.  We'll deal with that place…together," Remus said softly.

            "Together," Sirius agreed.  And as they stood there in each other's arms, Sirius couldn't be angry at Dumbledore's decision to put him back in that place.  _Because we'll be there together._


End file.
